Germany hope their revolution will finally bring success

Fear of further failure will drive Joachim Löw’s side against Brazil when the two sides meet in Belo Horizonte

Thomas Muller has covered more ground than any other player in the World Cup (Ricardo Moraes)

BEFORE the start Steven Gerrard told The Sunday Times his ambition for this World Cup. “I’d love nothing better than for it to be different [this time], to come back to the country on a big flight that’s been arranged for us. Crowds of people . . . our heads held high,” he said.

Given his country’s previous tournament miseries, we could understand that simply making the public feel good was enough of a target for an England captain. But no German would think that way. Their project to create a new type of Nationalmannschaft began with an image makeover and pleasing the gallery. Yet quickly it reverted to something traditional — Germany’s pursuit of titles.

Jürgen Klinsmann, who began the project, is now being bright-eyed and inspirational with the USA. Long ago he left Joachim Löw to legitimise, with a tournament win, the revolution they began when Löw was Klinsmann’s No 2 at